On first glance, director Bob Byington's award-winning comedy is just another link in a long mumblecore chain. Upon closer inspection, this hilarious and brutally honest film couldn't be further from its supposed bedfellows.
Shot on HD DV hand-held, "Harmony and Me" awakes in the aftermath of the title character's break-up. The shakiness of the aesthetic, combined with the episodic division of the film, brilliantly mirrors the protagonist's emotional instability and fragmentation.
Throughout the first half of the film, Harmony wallows in his victimization and vies for sympathy from friends (Kevin Corrigan), family (Byington), and nemeses (Pat Healy). Eventually, when the pity of others can no longer quell Harmony's need for emotional validation, he turns to the therapy music, which invariably helps him move forward.
Within this theme, Byington finds a poignant honesty and brutal humor which has garnered the film accolades and awards.
Byington is currently gearing up to helm his next film "Seven Chinese Brothers", which stars Patton Oswalt, Tunde Adebimpe (TV On the Radio), and Pat Healy.
